Unilever CMGO Esi Eggleston Bracey Departs; Leandro Barreto Leads Marketing Shift

• Unilever CMGO Esi Eggleston Bracey will depart in January 2026 after an eight-year tenure; her role will not have a direct successor.
• Leandro Barreto, CMO for Beauty and Wellbeing, will expand his remit to oversee Unilever's broader enterprise marketing agenda.
• The leadership change reflects Unilever's strategic shift to decentralize marketing capabilities into specific business groups.
• CEO Fernando Fernandez is transforming Unilever into a "marketing and sales machine," moving from traditional advertising to a "said by others" model, focusing on influencer partnerships.
• Unilever plans to allocate 30-50% of its $8 billion annual ad budget to social-first campaigns and significantly increase its influencer network.

Why It Matters: Unilever reshapes marketing leadership and strategy, shifting to decentralized, influencer-driven campaigns.